I own a Clark North American and do a lot of winter hiking, mainly in the Southeastern US. I have been considering switching to a Warbonnet Blackbird with a Speer tarp, which one is better?
I own a Clark North American and do a lot of winter hiking, mainly in the Southeastern US. I have been considering switching to a Warbonnet Blackbird with a Speer tarp, which one is better?
How long is a string?
I'm sorry, but the answer to your question is going to boil down to personal preference.
Dave
"Loneliness is the poverty of self; solitude is the richness of self."~~~May Sarton
Like the old one said, it's all completely relative.
The one huge difference that you will notice is that the Warbonnet will be like going from a twin bed to a king sized bed! There is that much room in there. Another plus is that the tarp is separate from the hammock giving you many more options. I find the Clark to be closed in while the WB is open and airy.
The warbonnet is lighter and simpler, with more freedom to customize things to your liking. Many also find it to be more comfortable and spacious, but that's a matter of personal opinion.
The clark is more complex, with more of a "complete system" vibe to it. I would say the biggest deciding factor would be how much you like the zip-in weather shield. If you like it a lot, stick with the clark, but if you aren't a huge fan of it, give something else a try.
I have a Clark NX-250 and love it. That said, it is way too heavy to backpack with IMHO. The hammock, with all attachments and the built-in UQ was just under 6pds! I thought that it was something I would be willing to tolerate since I really like the WeatherShield and I was under the impression that they were the only ones that offered that type of system. However, now that Arrowhead is making the weathershield attachment for the WBBB at only 5.4 oz, I am giving the BB a try. The thought of reducing the hammock weight by over 2 pds is very appealing to me.
in my opinion, weathershields/overcovers are ok, but you geta alot more versatility out of a big tarp, the weathershield traps in a little more heat than netting alone, but that's about it. use a good tarp to shield your setup from the weather.
This is my general thought as well - a large winter tarp that can be closed up will block the wind very well, and if I want something over top of me to trap in more heat, it's easy enough to put my poncho or spread out pack cover over top of my hammock. It's just not worth it to me to carry a separate top cover that only serves one purpose - ESPECIALLY if that top cover has zippers and stuff adding extra weight.
I have a Clark NA stored somewhere and hasn't been out for a long time
Too much, too heavy.
I am starting to lean towards "less is more" during the winter b/c of condensation.
Had some major condensation in my Clark NA.
Heck, i even had condensation on the mosquito net in my BB.
So this Winter i am going to go simple, like the travler.
Moski, who no longer feels the Secret Ninja Ski emptiness..............
B/C he got them now
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